Prostate cancer affects more men in the United States than any other type of cancer, with hundreds of thousands of new diagnoses every year. It’s important to understand, however, that prostate cancer is a curable illness—in fact, the majority of men who contract it go on to survive it. As with every type of cancer, knowing the illness is essential to beating it. Here is what you need to know about prostate cancer.

What is prostate cancer? The prostate is a gland between the penis and the bladder that is primarily responsible for the production of sperm. While prostate cancer does not always present symptoms, people who have it may experience erectile dysfunction, difficulty urinating, or blood in the urine. If the cancer is detected while it is still confined to the prostate, it is considered curable.

What are the risk factors for prostate cancer? Your risk of the disease increases with age; the majority of men who develop prostate cancer are older than 65. Prostate cancer rates are highest among African-American men. You are also considered to be at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer if you have a closely related family member who has had it. By age 50, almost half of all men experience small changes in the size and shape of cells in the prostate. Therefore, routine screening after the age of 50 has empowered the diagnosis and early treatment of prostate cancer.

How can you prevent prostate cancer? While prostate cancer can’t absolutely be prevented, there are a number of steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing the disease. If you are considered at high risk for prostate cancer, you may want to talk to your physician about getting screened for the condition, which is a simple blood test at an earlier age than the routine screening. Staying active and eating a healthy diet that includes vegetables can help.

If you are concerned about a misdiagnosis or possible medical error, contact the law firm of

Pegalis & Erickson, LLC, in New York. We advocate for people of all ages in order to help our clients financially and make healthcare safer for everyone. You can reach us today by calling (516) 684-2900.

Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects an individual’s ability to move. It can develop as a result of injury to the brain, sometimes due to mistakes made by medical staff during the delivery process. If your infant has cerebral palsy, the symptoms of the condition may become noticeable during the first year of life. If you notice delays with the following milestones, talk to a physician about whether your child may have cerebral palsy:​

Social Smiling While babies deliver spontaneous smiles very early on, they don’t begin social smiling—that is, smiling as a response to something else—until about six or eight months. This is an important development in the bonding process between a baby and his or her parents. However, cerebral palsy can interfere with this stage and affect the ability to smile as a social response.

Sitting Up Without Assistance Most infants are able to begin sitting up independently, without being held or propped up, by the age of about six or seven months. If an infant has cerebral palsy, however, the condition can affect the motor skills required to sit up. If your baby is having trouble sitting up or holding his or her head up by seven months, it may be a sign of cerebral palsy.

Reaching and Grabbing One of the most important milestones comes when an infant begins reaching and grabbing for things—such as toys, stuffed animals, or their mother’s hand. This is when babies first begin exploring the world around them through the sense of touch. Cerebral palsy, however, can slow down this progress, as it affects the development of fine motor skills.

If you are concerned about a misdiagnosis or possible medical error, contact the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC, in New York. For 45 years, we have advocated for people of all ages, in order to help our clients financially and make healthcare safer for everyone. You can reach us today by calling (516) 684-2900.

If you’re considering bringing a medical malpractice suit, it’s important that you understand what the term means. Medical malpractice is defined as having happened when a healthcare provider causes harm to a patient through the provider’s own negligence. In order for medical malpractice to have taken place, three things must be present: The patient must have suffered demonstrable harm, the provider must have delivered substandard care, and there must be a direct link between the quality of that care and the injury suffered by the patient. Medical malpractice can happen in numerous ways, including unnecessary treatment, failure to diagnose, medication errors, and premature discharge.

If you are concerned about a misdiagnosis or possible medical error, contact the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC, in New York. For 45 years, we have advocated for people of all ages, in order to help our clients financially and make healthcare safer for everyone. You can reach us today by calling (516) 684-2900.

In recent years, numerous studies have confirmed a disturbing trend: Men tend not to live as long as women. One of the reasons for this, unfortunately, is that men are far less likely than women to visit their doctors. June is Men’s Health Month, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to schedule a routine physical at your physician’s office. It’s also a time to be mindful of some of the most pressing health challenges that men face, including testicular cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression. Diagnosing cancer and other serious illnesses as early as possible is the best way to raise the chances of a good prognosis, so it’s important to be checked regularly for any conditions you are at risk for.

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